Book discharging mechanism in casing-in machine



J. H. THORP 336 5 IN CASING-IN MACHINE Jan. 9, 1968 BOOK DISCHARGINGMECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 11, 1966 INVENTOR. JAMES H. THORPJan. 9, 1968 J. H. THORP 3,362,521

BOOK DISCHARGING MECHANISM IN CASING-IN MACHINE Filed Aug. 11, 1966 I 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 9, 1968 J. H. THORP 3,362,521

BOOK DISCHARGING MECHANISM IN CASINGIN MACHINE Filed Aug. 11, 1966 5Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 9, 1968 J. H. THORP 3,362,521

BOOK DISCHARGING MECHANISM IN CASING-IN MACHINE Filed Aug. 11, 1966 5Sheets-Sheet 4 38 F6 38 V Y g 4O I V E Hi HIM 40 26 2 hnllmz I i ill-LL28 LIE?" Lvvmuu. if --28 436g 39 -30 se\ i 60 l 52 l 56 56 f1 50F 62 54.l l I "I! hh h,

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BOOK DISCHARGING MECHANISM IN CASING-IN MACHINE Jan. 9, 1968 5Sheets-Sheet Fi led Aug. 11, 1966 HEEJQE United States Patent 3,362,521BOOK DISCHARGING MECHANISM IN CASING-1N MACHINE James H. Thorp, WestHartford, Comm, assignor to The Smyth Manufacturing Company, Bloomfield,(101111., a corporation of Connecticut Filed Aug. 11, 1966, Ser. No.571,847 10 Claims. (Cl. 198-133) ABSTRACT (BF THE DISCLQEaURE A bookdischarging mechanism comprising a split horizontal plate which engagesbooks moved downwardly on saddle plates and arrests book movement, and abook transfer device which engages an arrested book and urges the samehorizontally out of the path of saddle plate movement.

The present invention relates to a high speed casing-in machine and,more particularly, to a book discharging mechanism particularly adaptedfor use in such a machine.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide a bookcasing-in machine wherein books are carried astride saddle platesmovable downwardly in a vertical path and wherein there is provided abook discharging mechanism operable to remove books in succession and ina high speed operation and yet in a gentle manner for delivery to adischarge conveyor or the like.

A further and more specific object of the invention resides in theprovision of a book discharging mechanism of the type mentioned whereinthe books are removed in succession from downwardly moving saddle platesin an endwise horizontal movement as the saddle plates are withdrawndownwardly from the books, a high degree of speed and efficiency in bookremoval thus being achieved.

The drawings show a preferred embodiment of the invention and suchembodiment will be described, but it will be understood that variouschanges may be made from the construction disclosed, and that thedrawings and .but showing the book discharge mechanism from an oppositecorner perspective angle;

FIG. 4 is a vertical sectional view taken generally as indicated at 44in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary top view taken of a portion of the bookdischarge mechanism comprising particularly a book transfer device;

FIG. 6 is a vertical section taken generally as indicated A at 6-6 inFIG. 2 and showing a book in an upright position adjacent a book tiltingdevice; and FIG. 7 is a vertical sectional view taken generally asindicated at 77 in FIG. 2, but showing a book in a partially tiltedposition under the urging of the book tilting device.

Referring particularly to FIG. 1, it will be observed that a bookcasing-in machine 10 is shown with a plurality of saddle plates 12, 12.Each of the saddle plates 12, 12

is adapted to support a book or a book filler in a back-up attitude andastride an upper portion of the plate. Thus, a book can be split orspread apart slightly approximately *at its center leaves so as to restastride the saddle plate 12. The saddle plates 12, 12 are moved by meansof a Patented Jan. 9, 1968 conveyor chain 14 in a generally verticalpath through an upward run or pass at the left and through a downwardrun or pass at the right. As is explained fully in my copendingapplication entitled, Book Casing-In Machine, Ser. No. 571,571, filedAug. 10, 1966, book components comprising fillers and cases areassembled at the left-hand portion of the machine and each saddle plate12, moving upwardly at the top of the left-hand pass or run, carries acompleted book such as the books 16 shown. At the right-hand portion ofthe machine, it is necessary to remove the books 16, 16 from the saddleplates 12, 12 in the vertically downward run or pass of the conveyorbelt 14. Removal of the books from the plates occurs at a Book DischargeStation A and by means of a book discharge meohanism indicated generallyat 18.

Considering the conveyor chain 14 in greater detail, it will be observedthat the said chain is mounted on and engaged with four rectangularlyspaced sprockets 20, 20. The sprockets or sprocket wheels 20, 20 drivethe chain in a clockwise direction and, more particularly, the upperleft-hand sprocket wheel 20 may be regarded as a drive sprocket whilethe remaining sprocket wheels 20, 20 may be considered mere idlers. Eachsaddle plate 12, 12 is pivotally secured to the conveyor chain 14 so asto depend continuously therefrom in a substantially vertical plane.Thus, books such as the books 16, 16 shown on the plates 12, 12 movedownwardly in succession at the right-hand portion of the machine forremoval from the machine by the book discharge mechanism.

The book discharging mechanism 18 comprises a book abutment and supportmeans which is adapted to accommodate the downward passage of a saddleplate and to engage and arrest the downward movement of a book on thesaddle plate for the downward withdrawal of the plate from the book.Said abutment and support means is shown as comprising an abutmentmember or bar 22 which is split longitudinally for the downward passageof a saddle plate and which is of such width as to engage the lowersurface of a filler portion of a book and yet allow the lower edges ofthe case of such book to be received adjacent and to clear the oppositesides thereof, FIG. 4. Thus, the engagement of the book with theabutment member or bar does not tend to dislodge the case from thefiller but instead tends to maintain firm engagement therebetween. Asbest shown in FIG. 2, a guide means is provided above the abutmentmember for engaging and urging firmly closed opposing portions of a caseof a book and such means comprises guide plates 24, 24. Further, guideplates 26, 26 best shown in FIG. 4, are adjustable toward and away fromthe abutment member or bar 22 by means of suitable racks 28, 28 andpinions 30, 30. Pinions 30, 30 may be turned by suitable hand knobs 32,32, one shown, FIG. 2.

The abutment or stop member or bar 22 may be set to have one portionwherein the books on the saddle plates engage the said member or bar andit also has another portion which extends away from the aforesaidvertical path of saddle plate movement and along which books may beurged for discharge from the machine. A book transfer means for urgingthe books along the abutment bar in horizontal and endwise fashionpreferably comprises a pair of pusher fingers 34, 34 and operating meanstherefore. The pusher fingers 34, 34 are arranged for horizontalreciprocal movement whereby they can'be engaged with a rear portion of abook at said one portion of the abutment bar 22 and moved horizontallyto urge the book along the bar to its said other portion for dischargefrom the machine. Each finger 34 has an associated finger carriage 36which is reciprocally moved in a horizontal direction in the machine andeach said finger is slidably held in its carriage for movement of thefinger into and out of the horizontal path of book movement between saidone and other positions on said abutment member 22. Thus, the fingers34, 34 are slidable in the carriages 36, 36 and they are urged inwardlyinto the path of book movement by means of suitable springs 38, 38. Acam means is provided for maintaining each pusher finger out of the pathof book movement as the carriages 38, 38 are moved rightwardly in FIG.or during return strokes of the fingers.

As is best illustrated in FIGURES 4 and 5 each finger 34 has anassociated cam roller 40 which is movable and a cam track 42. That is,each roller 40 is movable in an inner portion 42a of the cam track 42during a forward or book moving stroke of its associated pusher finger34. A front gate 44 is engaged by the roller 40 at a forward end of thebook transporting stroke of the finger such that the roller 40, at aninitial portion of a return stroke, engages the gate and moves outwardlyto a portion 42b of the cam track. As the finger continues to moverearwardly, or on a return stroke, the roller 44 is thus urged outwardlyand the finger is urged outwardly so as to be removed from thehorizontal path of book movement. At a rear end portion of a rearwardstroke of a pusher finger 34 its associated roller 40 engages a camsurface 46 which is inclined to urge the roller inwardly and to thusurge the pusher finger inwardly to the broken line position shown inFIG. 5. As will be apparent, the pusher finger 34, in its broken lineposition, is disposed in readiness for a forward or book transportingstroke.

Operating means for the carriages 36, 36 and the pusher fingers 34, 34are identical and are best illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4. Each carriage36 is slidable along a longitudinal bar 48 and has a slide 50 formed ata lower portion thereof. The slide 50 extends vertically and hasdisposed therein a carriage drive member 52 which is mounted upon asprocket chain 54. The carriage drive member 52 is movable with thesprocket drive chains 54 whereby to slide its associated carriage 36forwardly and rearwardly in a reciprocal movement along the support bar48.

Sprockets 56, 56 carry the sprocket chain 54 and a forward sprocket 56has connected therewith a stub shaft 58 which extends outwardly to agear 60. The gear 60 is thus connected in driving relationship with theforward sprocket 56 and is in turn driven by a larger gear 62 mountedupon a connecting shaft 64. The gears 62, 62 on the connecting shaft 64are driven by a small double gear 66 in turn drivingly connected with adouble gear 68 on a shaft 70. The shaft 70 extends rearwardly in themachine to a sprocket 72 which is driven by a sprocket chain 74 in turndriven by a sprocket 76 and the main drive chain or conveyor chain 78thus shown in FIG. 2.

From the foregoing it would be apparent that the pusher fingers 34, 34can be operated to move books in succession from the said one or rearportion of the abutment member 22 forwardly to said other or frontportion thereof. As each book is moved downwardly on its saddle plateand engages the abutment member, the pusher fingers are moved inwardlytherebehind and urges the same forwardly along the abutment bar in timedrelationship with the downward movement of the saddle plate. Preferablyand in the book discharging mechanism shown, the timing of the saddleplate movement and the movement of the pusher fingers 34, 34 is suchthat the books are moved forwardly in endwise fashion from a saddleplate as the saddle plate is withdrawn downwardly from the book. Thus,high speed operation can be achieved and yet books can be handled in agentle manner by the discharge mechanism.

The said other or forward portion of the abutment bar 22 has associatedtherewith a book tilting device indicated generally at 80 and adischarge conveyor 82. The discharge conveyor 82 is partially shown andcomprises a belt 84 and a roller 86 over which the belt extends. Thebelt is inclined downwardly and is adapted to remove books from the bookdischarging mechanism generally all at right angles with respect totheir movement from the said rear or one portion of the abutment bar 22to the said other or forward portion thereof. As will be apparent, atbook falling upon the discharge conveyor belt 84 will be transportedaway from the book discharging mechanism and it is only necessary totilt the book from its upright position in order to cause it to fallupon such conveyor belt.

The book tilting device comprises a tilting plate 88 which is supportedpivotally by means of a pivot shaft 90 and brackets 92, 92. The brackets92, 92 carry small racks 94, 94 which support the tilt plate 88 andwhich are movable for adjustment of the plates at the urging of smallpinions 96, 96. The pinions 96, 96 are mounted upon a shaft 98 which isin turn rotatable at the urging of a hand knob 100. The pivot shaft 90is rotated by means of an arm 102 connected therewith at a centralportion and extending to a short push rod 104. The push rod 104 extendsdownwardly to one end portion of 106 of a lever 108 pivoted above a stubshaft 110. A second arm portion 112 of the lever 108 carries a camfollower 114 engageable with a cam 116. The cam 116 is driven by theaforementioned bevel gear 68 whereby to oscillate the lever 108, tovertically reciprocate the push rod 104, to oscillate the lever 102 andthereby to oscillate the pivot shaft 90 and the tilt plate 88 asrequired to tilt books onto the conveyor 84.

Preferably a book holding member is operatively associated with the tiltplate 88 and such a member is shown at 120 in FIGS. 6 and 7. The saidmember is slidable vertically to an upper position shown in FIG. 6 whereit holds a book upon the abutment bar 22 and to a lower position asshown in FIG. 7 where it allows the book to be urged by the tilt plate88 onto the conveyor 84. Adjustment of the book holding member 120 toaccommodate books of different thicknesses provided for by means of ahand knob 122 and a small worm 124. A rack 126 is connected with theholding member and has an associated pinion 128 which is rotated by asmall arm 130. The arm 130 is swung in an are by means of a push rod 132connected with the aforementioned arm 102 and, more specifically, with apivot pin 134 associated with said arm. As will be apparent, swingingmovement of the arm 102 as aforesaid will result in movement of the pushrod 132 swinging the short arm 130 so as to oscillate the pinion 128.Oscillation of the pinion 128 will serve to urge the rack 126 upwardlyand downwardly as required to urge the book holding member 120 to itsupper and lower positions as aforesaid. Timing of the mechanism is suchthat the holding member is moved to its lower position and as the tiltplate 88 is moved to the tilt position as shown in FIG. 7. Similarly theholding member is moved to its upper position as the tilt plate 88 ismoved to its rear or none working position shown in FIG. 6.

The invention claimed is:

1. The combination in a book casing-in machine comprising at least onesaddle plate arranged in a substantially vertical plane and adapted tosupport a book thereon in a back-up attitude and astride an upperportion of the plate, a conveyor means for continuously moving thesaddle plate downwardly in a generally vertical path, a book dischargestation disposed in the path of saddle plate movement and comprising astationary apertured book abutment and support means adapted toaccommodate the downward passage of a saddle plate therepast and toengage and arrest the downward movement of a book thereon for downwardwithdrawal of the plate from the book, and book transfer means movablerelative to said abutment and support means at said discharge stationand engageable with a book engaged and supported by said abutment meansand to urge the book generally horizontally and in endwise fashion outof said vertical path of saddle plate movement.

2. The combination in a book casing-in machine as set forth in claim 1wherein said conveyor means and book transfer means are interconnectedfor operation in timed relationship such that a book is moved in endwisefashion from a saddle plate during downward withdrawal of the plate fromthe book.

3. The combination in a book casing-in machine as set forth in claim 1wherein said book abutment and support means comprises a horizontallyelongated upwardly exposed abutment member having one portion thereofdisposed in said vertical path of saddle plate movement and split forthe downward passage of a saddle plate .therethrough, and having anotherportion thereof arranged to extend away from the aforesaid vertical pathof saddle plate movement, and wherein said book transfer means isarranged to engage a book on said one portion of said member and toslide the book along said member to said other portion thereof.

4. The combination in a book casing-in machine as set forth in claim 3wherein said elongated member is of such Width as to engage the lowersurface of a filler portion of a book conveyed downwardly intoengagement therewith by a saddle plate, the lower edges of the case ofsuch a book being received adjacent and clearing the opposite sides ofsaid member.

5. The combination in a book casing-in machine as set forth in claim 4wherein said book transfer means comprises a pair of pusher fingers andoperating means for effecting horizontal reciprocal finger movementwhereby the fingers are engaged with a rear portion of a book on saidone portion of said abutment member and thereafter operable to slide thebook to said other portion of the member.

6. The combination in a book casing-in machine as set forth in claim 5wherein each said pusher finger is slidably supported for movement intoand out of the horizontal path of book movement between said one andother portions of said abutment member, wherein biasing means isprovided for urging each finger into the path of book movement, andwherein cam means is provided for maintaining each finger out of thepath of book movement during return movements of the finger from saidother to said one portion of the abutment member, said cam means beinginoperative and the biasing means eing operative during booktransporting movements of the finger to urge the finger into said pathof movement behind a book.

7. The combination in a book casing-in machine as set forth in claim 6wherein each said pusher finger is operatively connected with and drivenby a sprocket wheel and chain device for reciprocal movement adjacentand parallel with the aforesaid horizontal path of book movement.

8. The combination in a book casing-in machine as set forth in claim 5wherein a guide means is provided above said abutment member forengaging and urging firmly closed opposing portions of the case of abook moving downwardly on a saddle plate toward said abutment member.

9. The combination in a book casing-in machine as set forth in claim 5wherein a discharge conveyor is provided laterally adjacent said otherportion of said abutment member, and wherein a book tilting device isprovided adjacent said member on a side thereof opposite the dischargeconveyor, said device being operable to engage a book in an uprightback-up attitude on said member and to tilt the book toward its side andthereby cause the same to fall onto said discharge conveyor.

10. The combination in a book casing-in machine as set forth in claimwherein there is provided on a side of said abutment member oppositesaid tilting device a book holding element, said element being movableto an operative position where it holds a book on said abutment memberand to an inoperative position where a book is allowed to fall onto theconveyor at the urging of the book tilting device, and wherein there isprovided a means for operating said book tilting and book holdingdevices in timed relationship with each other.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,910,713 5/1933 Prussing 198-24EDWARD A. SROKA, Primary Examiner.

